Chelsea and Nike have agreed to a multiyear jersey deal worth US$87M per season that will "help the club to continue to compete at the top end of the transfer market, despite failing to qualify for the Champions League," according to Matt Law of the London TELEGRAPH. The deal with Nike is "worth double" compared to Chelsea's current" US$44M deal with adidas, which the club last week "confirmed will come to an end next season." Manchester United still will "have the most lucrative kit deal in Europe," at US$109M with adidas, but Chelsea "have landed the second-highest deal -- at least until Real Madrid negotiate a new agreement with either Adidas or Nike." Chelsea's Nike contract is "twice what Arsenal are paid by Puma and is more than three times what Manchester City earn from Nike, although City's deal is due to expire" in '19 and could soon be renegotiated. It is believed Chelsea Club Dir Marina Granovskaia "negotiated the new Nike sponsorship, which is the latest in the line of big commercial deals the club have struck" (London TELEGRAPH, 5/18). BLOOMBERG NEWS' Panja & Soshnick noted Chelsea " has been a soccer powerhouse since it was bought" by Roman Abramovich in '03. The club during that time has won four EPL titles and the Champions League, which has helped the club expand its fan base "around the world" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5/17).
